Valve for controlling compressed air.



A. J. GATES. M VALVE FOR CONTROLLING COMPRESSED AIR. Q

- APPLIOATION FILED JULY 1, 1911. RENEWED MAY 15, 1913.

1,077,697, Patented Nov.4, 1913.

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Z a a A. I. GATES.

VALVE FOR CONTROLLING commnssnn AIR. LPLIUATION FILED JULY 1, 1 ,077,697.

1911. RENEWED MAY 15, 1913.

Patented NOV. 4, 1913.

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ALBERT J. GATES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VALVE FOR CONTROLLING COMPRESSED AIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

Application filed m 1, 1911, Serial No. 636,436. Renewed May 15, 1913. Serial No. 767,903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT J. GATES, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for Controlling Compressed Air, of which the following for automatically discharging from the compressed air conduit sand or "other for- W eign matter.

. nisin In the use of compressed air the sand and dirt which gains ingress to the conduit in various ways is injurious to the apparatus actuated by the compressed air, such, for instance, as a compressed air motor, or the triple valve mechanism in air brakes.

'Heretofore screens have been employed in compressed air conduits to intercept thesand or other foreign matter before it reaches the air actuated devices. This practice is not wholly satisfactory, as fine particles of the foreign matter pass through the screens, and the intercepted foreign matter remains in and tends to obstruct the conglhe primary object of my invention is to provide a valve for controlling the passage of compressed air, or other fluid under pressure, which in turning from closed to open position will momentarily connect the sup ply passage with an exhaust port, thereby ejecting any accumulated sand or foreign matter before the valve connects the air supply port with. the passageleading to the air operated device.

A further object of my invention is to provide a valve controlling the passage of compressed air, or other fluids under pressure, which will protect the air operated mechaby eliminating accumulated sand, or other ioreign matter, and which will be simple in construction, inexpensive in manufacture, and efficient in operation.

My invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same is illustrated as'emhodied in a convenient and practical form, and in which Figure l is a side elevation; Fig. 2, a sectional view on line 2 2, Fig. 1, showing -s valve in closed position; Fig. 8, a plan view; Fig. a, a vertical section. on line 4. a,

Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a sectional view similar to Fig. 2, showing the valve in an intermediate position between closed and open positions; Fig. (3, a view similar to Figs. 2 and 5, showing the valve in open position; and Fig. 7, a. view showing the .use of my improved valve-in lieu of the usual angle cocks of a train-pipe.

' Similar reference characters are used to' designate similar parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Reference letter A indicates a valve casing having therein a conical valve seat and provided with a coupling A adapted to be united to a conduit leading from a source of compressed air. The valve casing A is also provided with a coupling A adapted to communicate with a conduit leading to acompressed air operated device. Ports a and a lead from the couplings A and A respectively to the conical valve seat within the valve casing. An exhaust port (L intermediate of the supplyport a and delivery port (1- extends through the valve casoutside of the casing upon which is secured ahandle C for turning the valve. A cotter pm d extends through the rectangular reduced portion b of-the valve above the surrounding portion of the handle to retain the handle in operative engagement with the valve. The portion of the valve casing adjacent the larger end of the conical valve seat therein is provided with an interiorly screw threaded circular flange awhich is engaged by an exterior-1y screw threaded.

plug E between which and the larger end of the valve B is interposed a spring F for retaining the valve in close contact with the surrounding seat.

f indicates a post projecting from the larger end of the valve B within the spring F for retaining the" spring in proper operative position. M

In order to limit the throw of the valve, the circular portion of the handle which en-v gages the projection 11 on the valve is cut away to' form-shoulders c and c which are adapted to engage a stop pin 0 projecting from the valve easing into the path of movement of the shoulders.

The operation of my' improved valve is as follows: Wh n the handle is in the position slunvu in lfi :2 and with the shoulder c in contact with the pin 0, the three ports in the valve casino, (2', 11 and (i are all closed, so that no pressure is passing from the couplinc A to the delivery coupling A In order to connect the supply port with the delivery port and permit compressed air to flow from the source thereof to the air actuated device. the handle C is moved toward the left. When the handle reaches the intermediate position in its movement shown in Fig 5, the passages 7/ and b therein connect the supply port a with the exhaust port a, therchv permitting compressed air to exhaust to the atmosphere so as to blow out any sand or accumulated foreign matter prior to connecting the compressed air with the air operated device. A further movement of the handle of the valve 13 toward the left to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, rotates the valve so as to close the exhaust port a and connect the supply port a with the delivery port a", by means of the connected passages-Z) and o. The valve is located in the open position shown in Fig. 6 through the engagement of the shoulder a on the handle with the stop pin 0.

My improved valve is adapted for use in any connection in which the flow of war pressed air is to be controlled, and particularly when a detachable flexible conduit. is employed, inasmuch as such flexible conduits when disconnected are often dropped to the ground, thereby receiving sand and dirt, Which, if not eliminated from the conduit, will pass to the air operated devices and seriously injure them.

v I have shown in Fig. 7 the application of my improved valve to air brakes, the pipes of which are ordinarily provided with screens to intercept the sand and other foreign matter and prevent it passing through the triple valve mechanism. In Fig. 7 reference characters G and G indicate diagrammatically the adjacent ends of two cou pled cars. H andH indicate the usual flexible pipe sections provided with detachable couplings H to permit them to be united or disconnected when the cars are coupled or uncoupled. It is usual to provide an angle cock in the train-pipe at each end of each car adjacent'the flexible hose thereon, such angle cock to be closed when the adjacent end of the car is not coupled to another car, and to be opened when the adja cent end of the car has been coupled to another car and the flexible hose sections of the train pipe coupled together. I have shown my improved valve as employed in lieu of the usual angle, cocks, in Fig. 7 in which the valves are shown in closed position. .-\ssuming that the car diagrammatically indicated at G is nearer the engine than the car G when the valves are opened, the valve on the car Gr will when it-reaches the intermediate position shown in Fig. 5 permit a preliminary exhaust of the compressed air to the atmosphere, thereby'eliminating the sand or other foreign matter which may have accumulated in the train-pipe. further movement of the valve to the position shown in Fig. 6 discontinues the momentary exhaust. to the atmosphere and permits the direct passage of the compressed air through the valve. When the car G is nearer the engine and the compressed air consequently passes toward the left in Fig. 7, the valve on the car G serves to effect a momentary exhaust to the atmosphere in its movement from closed to open position,

thereby eliminating sand and other foreignmatter. It will be observed that in using my improved'valve in lieu of the ordinary angle cocks on the train-pipe a momentary exhaust of compressed air will be effected from the valve on the car farthest away from the locomotive.

From the foregoingv description it will be observed that I have invented an improved valve for controlling the flowof compressed air from a source thereof to an air actuated device, which will eject from the The' air conduit sand or other foreign matter I prior to connecting the compressed air with the actuated device, thereby avoiding the necessity of the use of intercepting screens, and at the same time effectively protecting the air operated device from the injury necessarily resulting from sand or other foreign matter being carried thereto by the compressed air.

\Vhile I have described more or less in detail the specific form in which I have illustrated my invention as embodied, yet I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form proportion of parts, and substitution of equivalents, as circumstances may require, or as may be deemed expedient.

I claim:

1. In a device for controlling the flow of compremed air, the combination with a casinghaving supply, delivery and exhaust ports, of a valve in said casing adapted to close all of said ports when in one position and having passages for connecting said supply and exhaust ports prior to connecting said supply and delivery ports, thereby preliminarily ejecting foreign matter, and means for restricting the movement of said valve relatively to said casing to said described operation.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a conduit leading from a source of fluid under pressure, of a valve casing with which said conduit communicates, a conduit leading from said casing to a fluid operated device, said casing having an exhaust port intermediate of its connections with said conduits, a valve insaid casing having a passage adapted to connect or disconnect said conduits, said valve also having a passage for connecting said first conduit with said exhaust port momentarily during the movement of the valve from closed to open positions, and means for restricting the movement of said valve relatively to said casing to said described operation.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a valve casing having two ports and an intermediate exhaust port, of supply and delivery conduits cornmuni eating respectively with said two ports, a valve in said casing adapted to close said two ports when in one position and having a passage adapted to connect said two ports and also having a passage adapted to conncct the supply portwith the exhaust port during the preliminary movement of the valve from its closed to its open position, and means for restricting the movement of said valve relatively to said casing to said described operation.

4. A valve mechanism for controlling the flow bf fluid under pressure'comprising a valve and seat having cooperating ports'and passages for preliminarily discharging fluid under pressure during the movement of the valve from closed to open positions and for permitting a free flow of fluid through said valve when in open position, and means for restricting the movement of said valve relatively to said seat to said described operation.

5, A valve mechanism ior controlling the flow of fluid under pressure comprising a valve seat having supply and delivery ports and an intermediate exhaust port, a valve cooperating with said seat for elosiing said supply and delivery ports when in ope posi-' tion and havin passages for momentarily connecting sai supply and exhaust ports and subsequently connecting said supply and delivery ports, and means for restricting the movement of said valve relatively to said seatto said described 0 ration.-

In testimony whereo I have subscribed my name.

ALBERT J. GATE.

-Witnesses: v

HENRY A. PARKS, EDYTHE M. ANDFRSON. 

